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War reporting remains a professional challenge for journalists through the ages, and an endless source of raw material. War tells us stories about ourselves as a nation, and our place in the world. Our conduct of war — and how it is reported — can define our vision of ourselves as a country, or undermine and destroy that vision. All reasons why those who fight wars are so keen to keep the chroniclers of conflict and the public onside, whether by use of propaganda, public relations, or media operations. War also creates a voracious demand for fresh information. It is good for circulation, as...

War reporting remains a professional challenge for journalists through the ages, and an endless source of raw material. War tells us stories about ourselves as a nation, and our place in the world. Our conduct of war — and how it is reported — can define our vision of ourselves as a country, or undermine and destroy that vision. All reasons why those who fight wars are so keen to keep the chroniclers of conflict and the public onside, whether by use of propaganda, public relations, or media operations. War also creates a voracious demand for fresh information. It is good for circulation, as well as journalists' careers. War sells newspapers, and it sends audience figures for TV, radio, and news websites soaring, at least in the early stages before audience fatigue sets in, as it invariably does if a war lasts ‘too long’.